TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is arguably the most beautiful man-made structure in the world from its time period. It is actually a mausoleum.

In 1630, the favorite wife of emperor Shah Jahan of India died. Her title was Taj Mahal which means "pride of the palace." The emperor was so heartbroken when she died that he decided to build her the most beautiful tomb he could imagine. In 1632, he began hiring artists and architects from around the world to design it. In total, more than twenty-thousand laborers, craftsmen and artisans dedicated eighteen years of their lives to the construction. It was completed in 1653.

First a marble platform was built. It is 313 feet square and stands 22 feet high. On top of this platform, in its four corners, stand minarets or watchtowers. Centered on the platform is the palace-like mausoleum which stands 200 feet tall. It is an eight-sided structure made of white marble and inlaid with gems, floral designs and black marble inscriptions from the Koran.

Shortly after completion of the edifice, the son of the emperor deposed him and imprisoned him in a fort across the river. Shah Jahan could look out of his cell the rest of his life and view what he had built. When he died, he was entombed next to his beloved wife in the Taj Mahal.
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